Rollo at Play eBook

After a time, they got back into the path again, and,
going on a little farther, they came down to the margin
of the brook. They found that it was “up,”
as Jonas had feared. At the place where the path
went down and crossed the brook, a deep cut had been
worn in the two opposite banks, and this was filled
with water, and above and below the stream rushed
on in a torrent. Jonas hesitated a moment, and
then asked Rollo if he thought he could hold on, while
they we’re riding through. Rollo said he
was afraid it was so deep as to drown them. Jonas
then said that he might get off and stand upon a rock
by the side of the path, while he rode through, first,
to see how it was, and that then he would come back
for him.

So Rollo got off, in fear and trembling, and stood
on the rock, while Jonas urged his horse into the
water. Old Trumpeter did not much like this kind
of travelling, but Jonas half persuaded and half compelled
him to go through. When he was in the middle,
the water came up so high, that Jonas was obliged
to lift up his feet to keep them from being wet.
Presently, however, it became more shoal, as the horse
walked slowly along; and at last he fairly reached
the dry ground, and stood dripping on the bank.

Rollo was glad to see that the water was no deeper,
but was still afraid to go over. He told Jonas
he could not go over I here, and that he must
go back with him.

“No,” said Jonas, “that would not
be right.”

“Why,” said Rollo, “we can ride
fast, and overtake them.”

“Not very soon,” said Jonas. “If
we go back now, they will get to the mill before us,
and then will be very anxious and unhappy, thinking
that something has happened to us; and perhaps your
father will come through here after us. Now it
was your own plan, coming across here, and you ought
not to make other people suffer by it. Your father
advised you not to come.”

“I know it,” said Rollo; “what a
foolish boy I was! I shall certainly be drowned.”

“O no,” said Jonas, “there is no
real danger, or I should not make you go;” and
so saying, he came back slowly through the water.
“See,” said he, “it is not very
deep.”

LITTLE MOSETTE

After some further persuasion Rollo got on behind
him, and they began to in make their way slowly through
the water again. Old Trumpeter staggered along,
but not very unsteadily on the whole, until he got
a little past the middle, when he blundered upon a
stone on the bottom, which he could not see, and fell
down on his knees. Jonas caught up his feet,
in an instant, and Rollo had his already drawn up behind
him, and they both grasped the saddle convulsively.
The horse happened to regain his feet again in a moment,
so that they contrived to hold on; and in a few minutes
they were drawn out safely upon the shore, without
even getting their feet wet.

“Well, Old Trumpeter,” said Jonas, “you
have done pretty well for you, and you have got the
mire washed off your legs, at any rate. But, Rollo,
what is that?”